The Australian Capital Territory regions of Tuggeranong (Statistical Sub-Division, or SSD) and Gungahlin-Hall (SSD) had the highest proportion of families with children aged under 15 years in urban areas of Australia, according to a report released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Families with children under 15 years made up more than half (52%) all the families in Tuggeranong (SSD) and Gungahlin-Hall (SSD).

The report used results from the 2001 Census of Population and Housing to describe the major differences in the socio-demographic characteristics of people living in different parts of Australia.

Some major findings of the report relating to the ACT include:

North Canberra (SSD) had the highest proportion of people in Australia whostatedthat they had no religion (27%), and all the Canberra regions were above the Australian average of 16%.

Canberra had some of the highest proportionsof people aged 35 years and over attending university or TAFE, with North Canberra (SSD) (8%), Gungahlin-Hall (SSD) (7%) and South Canberra (SSD) (6%) all in the top five regions presented in the report.

Computer use in the ACT was among the highest of any region in Australia. Six out of ten people in Tuggeranong (SSD) and Gungahlin-Hall (SSD) used a computer at home in the week prior to the 2001 Census, placing them in the top five regions presented in the report.

With high levels of full-time employment in medium and high skilled occupations, residents of South Canberra (SSD) aged 15 years and over had the highest median gross individual incomes for both men ($787 per week) and women ($515) of all regions presented in the report. These areas were followed closely by Gungahlin-Hall (SSD) with $784 for men and $486 for women.

After household size had been taken into account, South Canberra (SSD) also had the highest median gross household income per capita in the ACT of $599 per week. The median gross household income per capita for Gungahlin-Hall (SSD) was$501 per week.

Further information is in Census of Population and Housing: Australia in Profile - A Regional Analysis (cat. no. 2032.0).

Media Note:The report was based on ABS geographical areas called Statistical Divisions (SDs). However, to give more evenly sized regions, SDs in populous areas have generally been disaggregated to Statistical Subdivisions (SSDs) or Statistical Region Sectors (SRSs). Specifically, information is presented for seven regions in the ACT.